The world’s most innovative companies 2018 – food sector

In Fast Company’s annual ranking of innovative businesses, foodservice company Compass Group, which runs thousands of school and stadium cafeterias around the world, landed at the top of the food sector top 10 list. Compass Group has partnered with the Global Animal Partnership to serve humanely raised meat and has deals in place with Impossible Foods and Hampton Creek to offer plant-based options to the masses. Chobani landed third on the list, largely for the growth of its incubator program. Mission-based Safe Catch Foods and its seafood impurity testing technology also snagged a spot on the list, along with frozen delivery company Daily Harvest and vegetarian-friendly brand Amy’s. Read more at Fast Company…

5 women-led companies breaking barriers in food and beverage industry

Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company in 2002, when her father passed away and she took over at Lifeway Foods. Her commitment to research has led to a fruitful decade and a half for the company, which has expanded into new categories and generated more than $137 million in revenue. Learn more about her and the female powerhouses behind Late July Snacks, Daily Harvest, Hint and Revolution Foods. Read more at Forbes…

Why Kraft Heinz is betting big on eggs

Just Crack an Egg is a new brand from Kraft Heinz that plays on several consumer trends, including convenience, DIY and fresh. It’s a four-variety line of refrigerated, single-serve cups that contain veggies, meat, cheese and potatoes. Consumers stir in a fresh egg and microwave the cup. Read more at Fortune…

FDA finds hazards lurking in parsley, cilantro, guacamole

The agency released the first results since it started testing certain fresh herbs and avocado and guacamole for dangerous bacteria. Of the 104 imported herb samples tested, four had salmonella present and three had E. coli. One-hundred and seven avocado and guacamole samples were tested, and four tested positive for listeria—three of them were domestic samples. Read more at NPR…

Anheuser-Busch goes organic with new Michelob Ultra

Even beer brands are going after natural and organic shoppers. Anheuser-Busch InBev is introducing Michelob Ultra Pure Gold that’s made with organic grains and comes complete with a seal of approval from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Read more at Bloomberg…